Gillingham (2) 4 McDonald 9, Dack 38, Garmston 75, Marquis 81
MK Dons (1) 2 Cole 36, Reeves (pen) 67
Att. 5,107
Entrance: Season Ticket
Programme: £3
Mileage: 56/4,786
Match Report
The massive amount now on offer, a club that finishes bottom of the League will still net around £90 million, means that short-termism and instant gratification are here to stay. The money earned by the Premier League principally now goes abroad in player purchase or into the pockets of foreign owners.
The trickle-down of cash to the lower English leagues are now just crumbs from a rich man’s table and, if you had any doubt where the loyalties of the Premier League lie, then take note of Richard Scudamore’s comment that “the Premier League is not a charity”, thinly-veiled code for “to hell with the rest of you” (or something stronger, if you saw my tweet).
There used to be a day when the old First Division clubs would look to the lower divisions for their star players of the future and, in those days of limited television coverage, the fees obtained were the life blood of these clubs. In the last transfer window only two players, Dele Alli, moving from today’s visitors MK Dons to Tottenham and Matt Grimes’ move from Exeter City to Swansea, made the leap from the bottom two divisions into the Premier League. Alli was immediately loaned back to Milton Keynes. Admittedly, Gillingham were also beneficiaries of a sell-on clause following Ryan Bertrand’s loan move from Chelsea to Southampton being made permanent.
In life, if you allow the roots to rot, then the plant above ground slowly withers away, somehow I don’t think that is going to happen with the Premier League. Whilst their star players approach weekly wages of £500,000, clubs like Wycombe Wanderers, who have supplied players to divisions above them, are forced to close down their academies.
This was, at least a talking-point, in the backdrop to Justin Edinburgh’s home debut as Gillingham manager. A well-earned win at Peterborough in midweek following last Saturday’s swan-song of the Gang of Four had led to a heightened sense of optimism despite the lofty league position of the visitors. One organisation that would not be doing any talking was Radio Kent, who found themselves banned from the stadium by the chairman who had taken exception to BBC reporting of an ongoing court case.
The game offered the opportunity to make the comparison between Alli, whose move had cost Spurs £5 million, and Bradley Dack, probably Gillingham’s most valuable player asset. On the day, Dack looked a cut above the Milton Keynes youngster, but, of course, I am only making the comparison on one viewing.
Gillingham got off to the perfect start with the opening goal after just nine minutes. A free kick awarded just outside the box was touched from Dack to Cody McDonald who saw his shot creep past stand-in goalkeeper Ian McLoughlin, who perhaps could have done better.
Stuart Nelson was brought into the action with a fine save to deny Samir Carruthers but with pressure growing from the visitors they found an equaliser on 37 minutes. Gillingham failed to clear their lines and when the ball fell at the feet of Devante Cole he planted a firm shot into the bottom corner.
But Gillingham roared back and within two minutes were back in front with a beautifully crafted goal. Gavin Hoyte collected a pass down the right hand side; his first time touch was laid into the path of Dack, who kept his composure to stroke the ball past McLoughlin.
The second half began with MKD in the ascendancy but they were fortunate when McDonald’s shot was turned onto a post by McLoughlin.
The pressure on the Gillingham defence finally brought its reward for the visitors when Ben Reeves, who had been a real nuisance since his introduction as a 56th minute substitute, converted a penalty after Carl Baker had been brought down by Hoyte.
Manager Edinburgh must have been thoroughly delighted with the response from his side as they fought back to re-take the lead 15 minutes from time. Dack sent raiding full-back Bradley Garmston free down the left hand side and, following a similar move moments earlier that had brought a shot from the West Brom loanee that was narrowly wide, this time his shot found the bottom corner.
Milton Keynes threw caution to the wind and had a strong appeal for a penalty when the ball struck the hand of Dack before the young midfielder found John Marquis in a counter attack with the striker firing past McLoughlin. The Millwall loanee was substituted to a standing ovation and his partnership with McDonald is certainly blossoming. Both are out of contract in the summer and it would be a major coup for Edinburgh to make their partnership a permanent one.
Dack, an obvious man of the match, had scored one and assisted in the other three in a dynamic performance that would have caught the eye of any Premier League scout not parked up somewhere in France, Brazil or Outer Mongolia.
As Gillingham head into the top half of the table, just two points off the play-offs, supporters are beginning to dream. They are no longer looking over their shoulders at the relegation spots but looking lovingly at that sixth place. Unrealistic? Perhaps. Reason to be cheerful? Most definitely.
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